The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations which began in 1948 and now consists of more than 7,000 people working in 150 country offices, six regional offices and at the headquarters in Geneva. Their primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations’ system. Within this, their main areas of work are health systems, promoting health through the life-course, communicable and non-communicable diseases, corporate services, preparedness, and surveillance and response.

The WHO Department of HIV/AIDS works to lead and coordinate the global health sector response to HIV by supporting countries in their efforts to scale up testing, prevention, treatment and care and to achieve global HIV goals. The Department also includes the Global Hepatitis Programme. For further information, visit the WHO HIV topic area.